Green Light
by Just to be Seen by My Eyes
Summary: Sad/Feely oneshot based on a character and some plot from the RP Forum, The Convergence


I met an old lady once who lived in Buckingham Palace completely alone. No one came to see her, and she never left the house. I was her only regular visitor. A friend. Someone she would talk to, though she never said much. Mostly just told me about the whether or what she'd eaten that day and I would tell her about the world. Who had come, who had gone. And she always responded with 'Hmmm' and then a few minutes later, staring out the window into the darkened sky she would always add 'So the world is still playing her games?'

I never knew how to respond to that so I never did.

Some days when I would come to visit, bringing her flowers or chocolate or something of the sort, I would find her staring out the window facing the Marvel section; taking in the view of the house she didn't think I knew about. But others had told me. They'd told me of the great man who used to live there and how he'd left behind a beautiful and kind woman but it wasn't until the first time I saw her staring that I realized this was that very woman. "I'll keep waiting." I once heard her whisper "I'll just keep waiting."

And she did. She waited and waited and waited. Growing old in that home. I waited with her, hoping one day she'd tell me why. Why she was still waiting for the man who'd left her behind all those years ago. Finally, one day, my dream came true. I was visiting Miss Winters for our usual Thursday coffee when something strange happened

"It was a Monday-"

I looked up from my coffee at her and frowned "Miss Winters-"

"I was about thirty-six, he was forty-one. I was a shy thing, afraid to trust anyone, afraid to love. Then, one evening as I was walking along he called out to me."

* * *

_Tony saw someone also walking around and that made him smile. He ran up behind her, "Hey, Hey, cute person that I don't know!" Stark called, coming to her side_

_ Jenna blushed, frowned, and turned towards him. "Hello."_

_"I'm Tony, Stark. Tony Stark that is, not two separate names that would be weird. You can call me whatever, but that isn't what matters here." he rambled without a break, "What is it they call you?" he asked sticking out a hand with a brilliant grin._

_ "Jenna." She shook his hand slowly, "Jenna Winters."_

_"Jenna? really?" he cooed with interest, "You know, I've only ever met one other person with the name Jenna, Ms Winters. Or maybe it was two, possibly- that's beside the point."_

_ "Just Jenna's fine." she smiled_

_"Just Jenna." He repeated with a smile, "I think I can live with that." he remarked, "I was on my way to get some coffee, care to join me?"_

_Jenna thought for a moment before nodding, deciding she might as well live a little._

_"Perfect." Stark grinned, clapping his hands together and beginning to walk._

_Jenna walked after him, unsure of what to expect._

* * *

"We had coffee for quite a while and he agreed to see me again." Miss Winters told me. "Several months and over a hundred cups of coffee later, he took me out on a romantic date. I will never forget his words."

* * *

_"Now I've been thinking..."_

_Jenna raised an eyebrow but let him continue. She watched him closely, folding her arms._

_"What kind of a name is Jenna Winters?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, come on. Jenna Winters, really?_

_ Jenna frowned "Ummmm it's my name." She shifted a little "And I kind of like it so..."_

_"You are named after a freaking season, Jenna. Change it." he argued. _

_ Jenna's frown deepened, a little upset with him. "What the hell would I change it to? What name is good enough for you?"_

_He sent her a knowing smirk before looking back up at the fireworks, "How does Stark sound?"_

_Jenna took a moment to process his words, then it hit her, and her heart skipped a beat. "Wait, Tony are you...?"_

_Tony hesitated, turning to her, "Would you want me to be? I- I know I don't exactly have the right to ask this of you, and sure you can say no." he paused, "I trust you with my life in your hands." he muttered, moving her hand to the arc reactor on his chest. "I want you to be beside me. Miss Winters, I love you." he muttered, pulling out the red and gold box, "And I want you to know that my heart is yours." he whispered. _

_ Jenna's heart melted and tears sprung to her eyes. "Oh my God, Tony." She took a moment to breathe before nodding, words almost refusing to form._

_Tony hesitated, looking at the tears in her eyes, before opening the box and taking her hand, sliding the arc reactor style ring onto her finger._

_ Jenna looked down at her hand and then up at him, smiling through the tears and leaning in to kiss him. "I love you."_

_"I love you too," he whispered, kissing her back and wiping the tears away carefully._

* * *

"Just under a month later, he just disappeared. Gone forever into the wind. " Miss Winters trailed off, staring out the window. "I waited for him. Hoping he'd return to me. But he hasn't yet."

I reached out and rubbed her shoulder a moment before pulling her in to a gentle hug "I'm so sorry, Miss Winters."

I felt her shaking arms wrap around me as she breathed deeply. After a moment, she sat back and told me all about her family. Her brothers, sisters, mother, father, and even her son who'd left a long time ago. As she finished her story, she took my hand in hers and looked me in the eyes.

"Joanna Beth Harvelle." She started "That sister I had, that sister was you. And I know you don't remember, those who leave never do, but I am so thankful for everything you've done for me. You helped me meet him. Become serious with him. You helped me get out of my shell, helped me feel good about adopting Harley. In everything I did you were there. And when you left I missed you."

I felt tears sting my own eyes as her voice wavered. "Miss Winters-"

"Please, call me Jenna." She continued to look into my eyes and I nodded in compliance.

"Jenna." I said, scooting my chair closer to her. "I'm back now and I won't leave you this time."

"Do you promise?" She asked me, eyes still searching mine.

"I promise you." I sniffled and squeezed her old, wrinkly hand gently. "I'll stay by your side until the end."

Miss Winters nodded to me "Good, good." She raised my hand to her lips and kissed it gently "Thank you dear."

Over the next few weeks, Miss Winters got very sick. She went from not leaving the house to not leaving the bed and honestly it was hard to watch. She slowly stopped responding to me and over time I knew I was going to lose her. But she would come back. That's what people do here. They come back. Always, even if they aren't the same. I would see her again.

About a month and a half after our conversation, one fateful day in September when the leaves were changing colors to beautiful oranges and reds, I entered the palace and headed towards her room only to find it empty. I released a sigh and sat down in a chair, staring out the window. I knew how the world worked. She'd be back soon. I decided I was going to wait for her there, but she never did come back.

I called everyone I knew and tried to set up a funeral for her. She'd been in this world a really long time, of course some people had to come. But when the day of the funeral arrived, I was the only one there. A few sent flowers but not the one's she'd told me about. Those she'd claimed to be closest to never even returned my calls.

I decided then and there that I too wanted to go home. I wanted to get away from this world and this palace, which was almost haunted for me now. Before moving to the OUAT section to hide out until I disappeared, I decided to visit the castle one last time. I walked up the stairs, running my hand along the old dusty railing. I walked to that window where she used to sit and watch out the window. The sun was hidden that day and a dark cloud loomed over the world. Rain was falling softly to the ground like maybe if no one else, the world missed Jenna. Through all of this I could see it. The Malibu house, off in the distance. It was in that moment I wondered how Jenna must have felt sitting at this window, watching and waiting. She had hope, a hope that endured. Maybe she should have moved on and let things go but she wouldn't have been the woman I'd known without it. And I liked her, I liked her a lot.


End file.
